1871
Great Brook Manufacturing Company Records
Collection, M-3
1856 – 1911
The Great Brook Reservoir Association was formed in 1856 in order to share the expense of building and maintaining a dam and reservoir in Great Brook at Buck’s Hill.
Original Members included Waterbury Knitting Co., Waterbury Manufacturing Company, W. R. Hitchcock and Co., William Perkins, and L. A. Perkins and Co. Members in 1900 (and for the period covered by the bulk of these papers) included Great Brook Mfg. Co. (H. S.Chase, W. B. Brooks); Waterbury Mfg. Co. (F. S. Chase); Matthews and Williard (R. F. Griggs); Platt Brothers (L. A. Platt); and Waterbury Clock (H. L. Wade, I. H. Chase). Waterbury Manufacturing Company would later become Chase Brass and Copper Company.
In 1900, the Association practically ceased to function. The new dams (1900 and 1910) were constructed by the Great Brook Manufacturing Company and financed by a collection from the members of the Association. Although they contributed toward the construction and maintenance, the members apparently ceased to have meetings or function as an association after 1900.
Original Members included Waterbury Knitting Co., Waterbury Manufacturing Company, W. R. Hitchcock and Co., William Perkins, and L. A. Perkins and Co. Members in 1900 (and for the period covered by the bulk of these papers) included Great Brook Mfg. Co. (H. S.Chase, W. B. Brooks); Waterbury Mfg. Co. (F. S. Chase); Matthews and Williard (R. F. Griggs); Platt Brothers (L. A. Platt); and Waterbury Clock (H. L. Wade, I. H. Chase). Waterbury Manufacturing Company would later become Chase Brass and Copper Company.
In 1900, the Association practically ceased to function. The new dams (1900 and 1910) were constructed by the Great Brook Manufacturing Company and financed by a collection from the members of the Association. Although they contributed toward the construction and maintenance, the members apparently ceased to have meetings or function as an association after 1900.
The collection is divided into two series. The first series is composed of the records of Great Brook Reservoir Association spanning from 1856-1900. These papers deal with the Association in the period when it still functioned as a whole. They are subdivided into three categories:
A. Internal business and finances (Minutes of meetings, bankbooks, etc.)
B. Correspondence, legal and real estate business. (When the reservoir wanted to expand, it encountered legal difficulties in obtaining rights-of-way, flooding land land it did not own, etc.)
C. Bills, (A small number, filed chronologically, and alphabetically within each year)
The second series is composed of the Great Brook Manufacturing Company spanning from 1900-03 and 1909-1911. These records document the first and second new dams respectively. They are subdivided into three categories:
A. Paper with no apparent connection to the dam (one folder only).
B. Paper re: construction of dam, 1900-03. (Surveys, specifications, legal papers, correspondence, bills, etc. Includes transactions between Great Brook Mfg. Co. and Reservoir Association companies, mostly to reimburse the former for dam expenses. Many of the letters are from property holders around the reservoir who would be affected by the new dam.)
C. Construction of the dam from 1909-1911. (Minutes of meetings, bills, correspondence, etc.) Construction again handled by Great Brook Mfg. Co., which was presumably again reimbursed by Reservoir Association members.
A. Internal business and finances (Minutes of meetings, bankbooks, etc.)
B. Correspondence, legal and real estate business. (When the reservoir wanted to expand, it encountered legal difficulties in obtaining rights-of-way, flooding land land it did not own, etc.)
C. Bills, (A small number, filed chronologically, and alphabetically within each year)
The second series is composed of the Great Brook Manufacturing Company spanning from 1900-03 and 1909-1911. These records document the first and second new dams respectively. They are subdivided into three categories:
A. Paper with no apparent connection to the dam (one folder only).
B. Paper re: construction of dam, 1900-03. (Surveys, specifications, legal papers, correspondence, bills, etc. Includes transactions between Great Brook Mfg. Co. and Reservoir Association companies, mostly to reimburse the former for dam expenses. Many of the letters are from property holders around the reservoir who would be affected by the new dam.)
C. Construction of the dam from 1909-1911. (Minutes of meetings, bills, correspondence, etc.) Construction again handled by Great Brook Mfg. Co., which was presumably again reimbursed by Reservoir Association members.
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